Secrets of Narnia: The Book of Myths and Legends
by Anastasia S
Summary: In The Last Battle, we were introduced to two Narnian legends, those of Queen Swanwhite and of Moonwood the Hare. During the Golden Age, Edmund finds a book containing other Narnian myths and legends. Each chapter contains a different myth or legend.
1. Edmund in the Library

Chapter 1: Edmund in the Library

"Susan!" The beautiful Queen Susan looked up as her brother, the High King Peter, entered the room. "Susan, have you seen Edmund?"

"Peter," she replied, "check the castle library. You know he spends as much free time there as he possibly can."

"That's true; I forgot about that," answered Peter. "Alright, I'll look there."

Peter found that Susan had been correct in saying that Edmund would probably be in the library, for he (Peter) found him there, legs curled under in a large armchair, reading.

"Edmund, what are you doing?" he called. "We have an important meeting in an hour with our royal advisors."

When Edmund didn't respond, he tried again. "Edmund?"

Edmund nodded, obviously very engrossed in the book he was reading, which was a large hard-covered book; it looked like the sort of book that would be so heavy, one would be in need of a friend to help him to carry it. He appeared to care about neither the meeting nor about much anything else at the moment. Peter decided to try a new tactic.

"Edmund, what are you reading?" he asked.

Still not looking up at his brother, Edmund said, "It is a book of Narnian myths and legends."

Hearing this, Peter raised his eyebrows. "Really?" he asked.

"Yes," replied Edmund. "Come and take a look."

Peter knew there wasn't much time, but still he went over the chair where his brother sat, and looked over his shoulder as Edmund turned the page…

Note: Thanks to Elecktrum for inspiring this idea in The Lion's Call chatroom, when she said I should write about why unicorns have indigo horns. Of course, that will be the first myth.


	2. The Unicorn and Its Horn

Chapter 2-The Unicorn and Its Horn

Quite a magnificent creature the unicorn is; its tail is not that of a horse's, but that of a lion's. Yet the rest of it resembles its just-as-lordly cousin. It is majestic and mysterious, but just the same a fierce fighter and protector of its home. One is not often seen, but when one is, we can't help but stare in near reverent awe of its grace and beauty. However, all who have seen the unicorn wonder the same thing: why, in contrast to its pure white head and body, does it have a horn of indigo protruding from its forehead? It has been said that the very secret of this strange phenomenon can be found in the story of Beryl, the boy who became a unicorn. This is that story.

_In the deepest forests of Lantern Waste, there lived a small community of Talking Beasts. The land of Narnia was at peace, for the great Tree of Protection still stood, much as it had for the past 400 years, watching over the small country and keeping the Witch Jadis from coming within even a few feet of its borders. However, for several days now, life in the Waste had been rather chaotic, for during the evening meal one night, the animals were interrupted from their feast by a young Son of Adam who wandered into the gathering. He couldn't have been more than seven or eight years of age, but whatever he was, he was certainly lost. He had been crying, and the animals wondered where the child's parents were. They didn't know what to do when still, after 3 days, nobody had come to claim the boy, but they knew that it would difficult for him to continue to stay there, for nobody knew how to care for a Son of Adam. Yet, after a few more days, the boy seemed to settle right in, happy living with all the animals. _

_The Beasts learned that the young boy's name was Beryl; quite strange this name sounded to them. He was of average height and weight for his age, with dark eyes. However, the most notable characteristic of Beryl's was that he didn't have hair the color of a normal Son of Adam; his hair was a dark blue color, almost purple. He told the animals, whom he was quite comfortable talking to, that the color was called indigo, and that he didn't really know why his hair was that color. He told of how his family always believed it was a sign of some tragedy to come, and had often tried to change the color of his hair, with no success. The animals soon realized that perhaps the boy was not lost; that perhaps his parents had abandoned him to hinder something bad from occurring in the family. With this realization, they began to treat him more and more as one of their own. _

_One afternoon, Beryl was laying under a large oak tree, resting and listening to the stories of Leala, the wise She-Elephant. The Beasts considered it a treat when Leala came to visit, because she lived many miles away in the plains, and generally did not travel to the forests often. Plus, it was rumored that you gained wisdom simply from being in her presence. At the time, Beryl was only half-interested in what Leala was saying, but he sat up when she began to tell him about the most graceful creature in all of Narnia: the unicorn. _

_"Now listen, young one," she said. "The unicorn is believed to be the symbol of everything that is good and pure, and to see one, I've heard, is very lucky. Not many ever have, so if by some chance you ever do, consider it a treasure to always remember."_

_His face marked with fascination, Beryl asked, "How will I know what a unicorn looks like?"_

_Leala laughed softly. "You'll more than likely just know, my dear. But I'll tell you anyway. They resemble a horse, but have much more beauty and nobility in their faces. Their tails are like those of lions, and they have a single horn in the middle of their foreheads."_

_Beryl was pleased with this information. "Where do the unicorns live?" he asked. _

_"It is uncertain of exactly where they live," replied Leala, "but every time that one has been spotted, it has been near the glorious Cauldron Pool." She motioned with her trunk to a small stream of water a few feet away. "If you follow this path upstream, you will eventually come to Cauldron Pool."_

_Beryl said nothing in reply, but just smiled in anticipation of the next day when he would go to Cauldron Pool and look for a unicorn. _

_He awoke early the next morning, gathered some food, and set out into the woods toward his destination. A boy of his age shouldn't have been wandering the forests alone, but he didn't care if the animals worried about him or not, because he was going to see a unicorn. He found the Pool about mid-afternoon. When he came within full sight of the waterfall, Beryl stopped, standing in awe of the beauty of the area surroundings. The light of the sun shone at just the right spot in the Pool to make it glitter, and all the trees were mirrored there against the water. The deafening sound of the rushing waterfall finalized the picture. _

_Beryl noticed something else on the other side of the Pool, however; there was a small shelter, a hut of some sort, standing alone. Curious, he wandered around the water to see what it was for. Upon reaching the hut, he saw that the door barely covered the entrance and was cracked open. Peering inside, the first thing he noticed was the back of what appeared to be an elderly man, hunched over a table of some sort. Beryl had not seen another human since his parents had abandoned him, and was thus intrigued. He didn't know what to do, but just then, the old man turned to him. _

_"Hello, child," he said, perhaps a little too cheerfully. There was a gleam in his eye as he looked Beryl over._

_Beryl didn't return the greeting, but simply stated, "My name is Beryl. What's yours?"_

_The old man laughed, again rather too cheerfully. "What a brave one you seem to be!" he exclaimed. "As for my name, I can't tell you my real name, but call me Seff. I live out here alone, so it's been a long time since I've seen anyone who actually looks like me."_

_"What are you doing living out here by yourself?" Beryl asked. "I live in the deeper parts of the woods with some Talking Beasts who have taken care of me this past year, and I'm sure you'd be welcome."_

_"Oh no," replied the man. "I don't think I would be welcome. You see, most people wouldn't agree with what I do out here. But no matter; I bet that you are here because somebody told you there are unicorns to be spotted around here."_

_"Yes!" cried Beryl joyfully, not realizing as he said this that Seff was grinning broadly. "Have you seen any? I want to see one! Where can I see one?"_

_Seff laughed again. "Be patient, boy. It is a rare treat to see a unicorn. Why, I have lived here eight years, and still have not seen one. You probably will not see one either in the short amount time that you plan to spend here. In fact, you look like you have traveled a long way. Why don't you take a bath in the Pool, and I'll prepare something for you to eat and drink?"_

_"Oh yes, I would be happy to do that," replied Beryl. He ran outside the small hut and jumped right into the Pool, clothes and all. _

_While Beryl bathed, Seff began to prepare the meal. He removed a large book from a shelf in the corner of the hut, and opened it to the middle, noting that he had all the ingredients he needed for what he was going to make. _The boy wants to see a unicorn, _he thought_, and a unicorn he shall see. _The drink took very little time to prepare, and he set it aside to let it cool while he made some food that he knew the boy would like, but that would also make him very thirsty._

_By the time Beryl had finished bathing, Seff had finished preparing dinner. He grinned as the young boy came leaping into the hut. He set the food on a round wooden table that looked like it might not be far from falling apart, and Beryl greedily began to stuff food into his mouth. You see, he hadn't really been taught the proper way to eat, having lived with animals for a while. When he finished, he looked up, searching for a drink. _

_"Is this what you seek, son?" Seff asked, knowing that it was. _

_"Yes," Beryl answered. _

_Seff handed the boy the drink, watching him as he finished it off in less than a minute. He knew already what would happen next, and he watched as the drink began to take the effect that had been foretold in the book. Beryl grew sleepy, and began to drift off. Soon, he was fast asleep, and Seff quietly exited the room, anticipating the next morning. _

_When Beryl awoke, the first person he saw was Seff, who was standing over him with a huge grin on his face. _

_"Beryl, my boy, come quick!" he exclaimed. "If you hurry, you'll see the unicorn outside!"_

_Beryl's eyes grew wide, and he immediately got up from where he had fallen asleep the night before. However, he discovered that he couldn't move as quickly as he thought he would be able to, and struggled to stand on his feet. Nevertheless, he eventually stood and raced out the door, not realizing the way that he was running. Upon reaching the Pool, however, he was dismayed to see that there was not one unicorn in sight. _

_"I don't see one," he said unhappily. _

_"Oh, he must have run away then," replied Seff in mock disappointment. "But, I've been told that if you reach the Pool within just minutes of the unicorn's absence, you can sometimes still see him in the water."_

_Beryl wandered over to the Pool, and glanced over the side. And what he saw shocked him. Indeed there was the reflection of a unicorn in the water, but it did not look the way he had expected it to look. Its body and form looked much like Leala had described, but the horn on top of its head was a bright bluish purple, like the color indigo—the same color as his own hair. Beryl moved his head slightly, and realized at that moment that the unicorn in the water was as well moving its own head. He raised a forehoof, and the reflection did the same. The awful truth had been discovered: in his selfishness of thinking he could be one of the only people alive to see a unicorn, he himself had become one. And his hair, instead of becoming his mane, had become his indigo horn. _

_Beryl turned around to face Seff, but Seff had vanished, and the hut with him. Beryl was alone in the forest, and there was nobody to help him. And so, wondering if he would ever become a boy again, and not knowing what to do in the meantime, Beryl the Unicorn walked away in the woods, never again to live in the community of the Talking Beasts._

It is assumed that Beryl, the boy-turned-unicorn who became the first to bear an indigo horn, did in fact come across the herd of unicorns, and lived with them, passing the color of his horn down through the generations, for every unicorn that has since been seen has had a horn of this color.


	3. It Could Have Come to War

Chapter 3-It Could Have Come to War

It has long been known that the original inhabitants of Archenland, the country just south of Narnia, came from Narnia itself. History states that about two hundred years after the Great Lion Aslan sang Narnia into existence, the young Prince Col, a descendant of King Frank, traveled past the southern border of Narnia and established the country of Archenland. This tale is thought to have been recorded by the centaur Windlight in his book Remembering Narnia's Kings; however, this is not the story I will be telling you. This story is about the relationship between the Narnians and the Archenlanders. I am sure that all you have ever been told is that these two countries have lived at peace with another, and certainly, it is indeed true that the friendship between them has always been strong. However, there was once a time when the countries of Narnia and Archenland very nearly went to war with each other, and over such a small matter too. If you are now intrigued, please read this story.

_King Rusevan was distraught. He had only reigned over Narnia for three months now, and already more had happened then one would think a King should have to deal with so soon. Six potential suitors had come from all over the world to seek the hand of his beautiful daughter in marriage, and she had rejected them all. He had been forced to sentence one of his most trusted advisors to hanging for the crime of kidnapping. And now, the captain of the guard had just quit, saying that he felt the distance between himself and his family growing, and that he wanted to be nearer to them. _

_He was thankful for the fact that the country was at peace. There had been several rumors in the air after his advisor had kidnapped Pelalia, the young faun in charge of the garden, but those seemed to have settled by now. In fact, nobody really found out what his motives had been; it was believed that he had wanted Pelalia to work for him in his wife's garden, and when she wouldn't, he grew angry with her and kidnapped her. Rusevan had made sure to provide for and support his advisor's widow, for he had been grieved just as much as she at having to sentence him to death. And she was a sweet lady; she had invited him to her home many nights for banquets held in his honor and for no reason at all. _

_Naturally, King Rusevan was glad that for the time being, there were no appointments scheduled that were absolutely necessary for him to attend. He could be free to look over the information he had received about the new building project that was scheduled to begin in a couple of weeks. He was just about to begin reading when he heard the sound of hooves in the hall and glimpsed a shadow fall on the dais. He glanced up to see an elderly centaur, his gray hair flowing down his back and his roan flanks specked with bits of white. This was Swiftwood, the centaur in charge of the messengers. Even with the dais raised four feet off the floor, the majestic centaur still towered over him. When Swiftwood saw the king look up, he bowed his head. _

_"Your Majesty," he said quietly._

_"Swiftwood, greetings," replied Rusevan. "What may I ask is the occasion for which you stand before us today?"_

_"Majesty," continued Swiftwood, rather gravely the king observed, "the news I bring is none too celebratory. In fact, it may grieve you."_

_The king noticed the scroll that Swiftwood carried. "You have a message for us, I presume."_

_"Yes, Majesty," answered Swiftwood. "Turly the Squirrel brought it to me this morning. After reading it over, I knew immediately that you must be notified."_

_King Rusevan took the scroll from the hand of the centaur, and unrolled it slowly. When he could see it clearly, he read:_

**Par, King of Archenland, to Rusevan, King of Narnia:**

**It has come to our attention a matter of importance that calls for treachery on the part of you, the King of Narnia. Why you have chosen to breach our long friendship and alliance with your country is a mystery to us; however, this is not an issue to be trifled with. Our men are thus prepared to meet your men in battle the XXI day of this month in the first year of your reign. This will be the case unless you act immediately to rectify the situation. **

_When he finished reading the message, Rusevan was shocked. Obviously there was something indeed wrong, or else Par wouldn't have sent this message in the first place, but to declare war without a reason? That went against the code of honor of any king, especially the one of the country with which Narnia had supported since its inception. Rusevan decided that he needed to find out immediately what had incurred Par's anger, before the Archenlanders came; Narnia would not be prepared to go to war within less than two weeks. He looked up at Swiftwood, and said, _

_"Swiftwood, I need you to send your speediest messenger to the King of Archenland immediately to inquire as to the reason for him sending this message. We must get to the bottom of this problem, and there is not a moment to lose."_

_Swiftwood bowed. "Yes, Your Majesty. It will be done." He turned to leave the throne room, and Rusevan sat back, his head in his hands._

_Within three days, Thailtree, the messenger Swiftwood had sent to Archenland, returned with another message for King Rusevan. When the King unrolled the new scroll, he read:_

**Par, King of Archenland, to Rusevan, King of Narnia:**

**It does not become you as a King to be in the dark about this matter, for you should be aware of everything that is happening in your kingdom. However, since you are not, I will share with you the reason for declaring war against your country. On the III day of this month, we here were notified by a trusted nobleman of the court about the confiscation of several hundred gold coins from the royal treasury. We were given reason to believe that it was a citizen of your country who might have stolen this money from us, and we are willing to do whatever it takes to ensure the return of it. We are still planning to meet you in battle, unless you find the money and return it within the week. **

_Rusevan was puzzled; what did Par mean? How could anyone from Narnia have stolen money from the King of Archenland? No Narnian had been in Archenland that he knew of since Par's wedding the year before, so the only way it could have happened was if someone had gone to Archenland without the permission of either King, and sneaked into Anvard to take the money. But, Rusevan thought, if that were true, what would have been their motive for the crime? There was obviously someone in Narnia who wished the downfall of King Rusevan. _

_It was imperative that he find the thief and return the money to Archenland, so Rusevan set about calling his men to find the criminal. When they were gathered together in the throne room, he said, _

_"Someone in Narnia has committed a treacherous crime against the crown of Archenland, and if we do not find him as soon as possible, the army of Archenland is prepared to march against us within just a few days. I am sending two each of you to a different corner of Narnia to search for the person who has done this. May he regret what he has done greatly when he is found."_

_Everyone nodded in understanding and agreement, and as each received his assignment, he bowed to Rusevan, assuring him that he would do his best to find the one responsible for the act. Still, Rusevan was unsure that it would be taken care of in time._

_The word that the Archenlanders had crossed the southern border of Narnia came to Rusevan just two days later. There had been no word yet from the captain of the guard that the thief had been found, so Rusevan made sure that his army, though small, was prepared to meet Par and his army. It would be at least another day or two before the armies met, however—and for this Rusevan was glad, because it gave him a little more time. He prayed to Aslan that things would work out between the two countries. _

_That same day, Swiftwood came before the King, looking quite relieved. Rusevan noticed this, and asked, _

_"Swiftwood, have you news for us?"_

_"Yes, Majesty," the centaur replied. "Sekin, whom you sent to the Shuddering Wood, has found the criminal."_

_"What?" Rusevan asked incredulously. "By the Lion, send him in at once!"_

_Swiftwood left the throne room, and returned with Sekin, a Leopard who was known throughout Narnia as a skilled hunter and fighter. The Leopard bowed before the King. _

_"Sekin," the King asked, "Swiftwood tells me you have captured the one who stole the money from Archenland. Is this true? Where is he now?_

_"Yes, Majesty," replied Sekin, "I do believe that the one I have found is the person we have searched for. While I was in the Shuddering Wood, I came across a small cabin in the middle of the forest. There was somebody inside, and he sounded to be talking to himself. I decided to find out who he was and what he was doing. When I reached the cabin, I looked in the window, and there I saw a black dwarf, rough in appearance. He had a greedy look on his face, and on the floor beside him was a large sack, full of something. I couldn't hear him very well, but I think he was saying something along the lines of 'Now, nobody will find me, and Narnia and Archenland will go to war, and things as we know it will come to an end.' His accent was difficult to understand."_

_The look on Rusevan's face as Sekin spoke was all relief. When he finished, the King said,_

_"Thank you, Sekin. You have done well. Swiftwood, have the captain of the guard gather a group together to find this dwarf and bring him to me. He must pay for what he has done."_

_"With a good will, Your Majesty," replied Swiftwood, and left the room immediately. _

_Word came to Rusevan the next day of the capture of the dwarf, who was then brought before the King as soon as the party arrived at Cair. Rusevan sent Swiftwood to meet the Archenlanders, who had advanced nearly to the middle of Narnia by now, and return the sack of gold to Par. Meanwhile, he spoke with the dwarf. _

_"Dwarf, what is the meaning of this? Why have you stolen from the King of Archenland, and what do you have to say for yourself?"_

_The Dwarf grinned horribly. "Don' tink I be tellin' ye anyting. Ye kin kill me, but She will still be triumphant. Ye cannaw stop Her; She will rule Narnia, and the world."_

_King Rusevan thought about what the Dwarf said—what did it mean? Who would rule Narnia? The thought concerned him, but for the time being, there were other things that were more important at the moment. He was anxious to hear if Swiftwood had reached the Archenlanders, and if the return of the gold would satisfy King Par. He turned to the guards. _

_"Lock him up. Leave him there until he chooses to talk. It is far worse to be confined in a dark prison than to be put to death quickly and painlessly."_

_When the Dwarf had been taken from the throne room, Rusevan hastened to the royal stables, commanding for his horse to be made ready so that he could follow after Swiftwood to meet Par. Hopefully when he reached the army, the King would be in a better mood, because this would mean that Swiftwood had gotten there first. _

_After approximately an hour of riding, Rusevan came into sight of the Archenland army. They appeared from a distance to be preparing to leave the area where they had been camping, but Rusevan knew not whether they were preparing to continue on to Cair or to return to Archenland. He urged his horse to enter the camp, and dismounted. Assuming that the large tent set up in the middle of the camp belonged to the King, he headed directly to it. Two guards outside the tent stopped him. _

_"Who are you, and what is your business with His Majesty, King Par?" they asked. _

_"Pardon me, gentlemen, but I am Rusevan, King of this noble land of Narnia, and I am here to see Par on a matter which I believe he should have made known to you already."_

_Having heard Rusevan speaking with his guards, Par rose from his table and stepped outside the tent, grinning slightly. Looking at Rusevan, he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. _

_"King Rusevan, I suppose you have come to see if the sack of gold was returned."_

_Rusevan nodded. "Indeed I have. Has it been? And if so, are you prepared to return to your own country?"_

_"Yes, it has been returned to us, and yes, we are preparing to return to Archenland tomorrow morning."_

_Rusevan looked around, at the guards, and back at Par. "Might I speak with you privately?"_

_Par raised his eyebrows, but nodded. "Yes, let us go inside my tent."_

_Rusevan followed Par into the tent. "Par, I must apologize to you for what has happened between our two countries. Apparently, a citizen of this country was responsible for stealing the sack of gold from your treasury. I am not certain how he managed it, but he did. We have apprehended him, though he refuses to tell us anything."_

_Par looked at Rusevan for a minute, and grinned. "You know, I don't believe we should be concerned about this any longer, Friend. The issue has been…nearly resolved, and I must admit I acted a bit rashly in preparing my army for battle against your country. I believe it is best to forget this whole thing happened. Narnia and Archenland have always had a strong friendship, since the beginning, and there is no reason to jeopardize that friendship. We shouldn't worry about it anymore. Tomorrow, I and my men will return to Archenland, and we won't speak of this again."_

_King Rusevan nodded, and the two men rose to shake hands. Indeed, there was nothing more to worry about. The friendship between Narnia and Archenland had been restored for good. _

Certainly this is the only event recorded in Narnian history in which there was nearly a war between Archenland and Narnia. There was still the question as to what the Dwarf meant when Rusevan questioned him, but perhaps we will never know. Still, perhaps it is best to be on the look out for whoever this "She" is, because this person appears to have been the conspirator behind the conflict, and it would not be a good thing to let "Her" continue causing trouble like what she has already done.

* * *

A/N: Sorry it has taken me two months to update. This is a much longer chapter than any of the other two; in fact, this chapter alone is longer than the first two combined. This was a difficult idea to work, as all of the chapters in this fic will be, because they are a bit out of my fanfic writing comfort zone. But anyway, hope you enjoyed it!


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